Gillian Saga II - Debris
by monica.prelooker
Summary: Debris picks up exactly where Atalanta ended: Woods mined the building and Gillian and Hotch are trapped inside. Now they will have to work together in order to survive, while the team tries to rescue them and to find out all the hidden bombs Woods left, inside and outside the building.
1. Gillian Saga II - Debris Teaser 1-2

_"__Seems like every time I try to make it right it all comes down on me. Please say, honestly, you won't give up on me. And I shall believe."_

Hotch is coming in no hurry to the stairs when the explosion shakes the whole building. He sticks to the wall, covering his head out of instinct when dust and debris come raining down the stairwell.

He waits for a beat, then he produces his flashlight and dares a look at the stairs. They're not completely blocked. Then his mind registers the explosion came from above, somewhere in the upper floors.

"GILLIAN?" he calls out loud.

There's no answer. He runs to the stairs, never minding the cloud of dust suspended in the stairwell. "GILLIAN!"

Hotch hurries up to the second floor and quickly scans the corridor: cracks on the walls, some debris. He goes on to the next flight of stairs, calling out again: "GILLIAN!"

There's much more debris as he carefully makes his way up to the third floor, and the cloud of dust is thicker here. He's closer to the origin of the explosion. His flashlight shows parts of a collapsed wall almost completely blocking the stairs.

Hotch tries yet again, as he looks for a clear spot to step: "GILLIAN!"

"Agent Hotchner…?"

Her voice is not quite firm, and Hotch is forced to pause to find his way through heavy chunks of concrete. "YOU OK?" he asks.

"Yeah! Don't come up!"

_Yeah_, he repeats to himself. Sure.

Woods' bedroom is plain war zone, no ceiling, huge debris everywhere. Gillian is lying on the floor, her belly and her left arm crushed under a whole concrete column. She's trying to pull herself from under the column, but she can't do it without help.

She hears the rumors from the stairs and curses under her breath: he's coming.

"Hang on, Gillian!"

Hotch's voice sounds closer, she curses again and breathes as deep as she can to shout: "GET OUTTA HERE! ANOTHER BOMB WILL GO OFF ANY MOMENT NOW!"

The rumors come now right from the corridor and Hotch soon shows up at the bedroom doorway, scanning the room with the flashlight. "GILLIAN?"

She curses yet once more. Damned man, there's no time for please and explanations and sir. "GET THE HELL OUT!"

He doesn't. What a surprise.


	2. Gillian Saga II - Debris Teaser 2-2

Outside the building, everybody is standing slowly back on their feet, stunned and shaken. Rossi looks up and sees Morgan staggering to him. "Hotch…," Rossi manages to utter.

Morgan's eyes widen as he turns to the building, trying his radio. "Hotch…?"

The Bomb Squad Leader is coming to them. "You guys ok?"

"HOTCH!" Morgan calls, but there's no answer.

Hotch is kneeling by Gillian. "Don't move, help's on the way."

She huffs and tries to play it his way. "Agent Hotchner, please, you need to get out and take everybody away. The whole building is gonna blow."

He ignores her anyway, trying to find a way to move the column. Gillian can feel her strength vanishing, so she grabs his sleeve and tugs, to make him face her, and goes yet again, knowing she won't be up for many more tries.

"LISTEN TO ME, DAMMIT! There are more bombs somewhere about to go off! And you gotta find them!"

Hotch finally pauses and scowls down at her. "What?"

Gillian lets go of his arm to reach for something under the column, then she gives Hotch a sliced piece of a blueprint. "I found this…"

_Shit_, she thinks. She's just used what few energy she had left trying to send him away, now she needs a pause to breathe, while Hotch checks the piece of paper with his flashlight. But breathing is getting sort of concrete-column difficult.

"Three bombs…," she mutters. "Out in the city… More in this building…" She exhales, wishing she was strong enough to get herself free and kick his ass down the stairs and out of the building. Why can't he see that she needs him safe and out, neutralizing Woods' farewell presents?

Hotch looks down at Gillian, noticing she's about to pass out. "Stay with me, Gillian." It's an order. How nice of him.

Gillian feels everything spinning around, then she's falling. She tries one last time: "Please, _go_…" and everything goes dark.

Outside the building, Rossi kicks himself together to instruct the Bomb Squad Leader: "We need a rescue team, fire trucks, ambulances."

Morgan is still trying on his radio. "HOTCH! DO YOU HEAR ME!"

Jennifer dials her phone. "JJ! NO!" Morgan shouts. She drops her phone, startled.

Morgan sprints to the building and Jennifer and Reid follow. "WAIT!" Rossi yells behind them.

But it's too late.

Another explosion, bigger than the first one, blasts from the ground floor. Morgan reacts enough to jump back, covering Jennifer with his own body and dragging Reid down with them to the ground.

Fire and dust and debris are violently expelled out.


	3. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act one 1-4

**_"__The true measure of a man is how quickly can he respond to the needs of others and how much of himself he can give" – Philip K. Dick_**

The flashlight flickers on the floor, showing a thick cloud of dust suspended in the air. The only rumor is the cracking of debris dropping.

Hotch is sprawled on the floor, his back to the inner wall, his right ear bleeding.

At the other side of the flickering light, the column is still crushing Gillian's chest, and her legs are now buried under a pile of debris.

Morgan pulls himself up to a side, allowing Jennifer to rest up on her elbows, while Reid is slowly sitting up. The three of them gawk at the building, in shock.

Then Jennifer turns to Morgan, eyes wide open full of tears. "Did I…?"

Morgan shakes his head —I don't know. "No, JJ, it wasn't you."

"Hotch…," Reid mumbles. "He…"

Rossi comes running to them. "You ok?"

Morgan nods. Rossi helps Jennifer up. "Come, we need to step back now."

Jennifer allows Rossi to gently take her back to the SUV, but she can't look away from the building.

"We can't wait, Rossi," says Morgan, catching up. "Hotch and Reg are trapped in there."

Rossi shoots a peremptory look at him as Reid joins him. Like Jennifer, he walks looking back at the building.

Morgan snaps. "Rossi! We need to get to Hotch now if we wanna save him!"

Rossi signals Reid to stay with Jennifer and turns to Morgan, counting to ten not to lose it. "Hotch went in and a bomb exploded. You tried to go in and another bomb exploded. So we're not making the same mistake again. We're letting the Bomb Squad do their job before trying anything else."

Morgan can't believe his ears. "What!? These guys said the building was clear, and look what happened! Are you gonna gamble Hotch's life on them?"

"Think, Morgan. Hotch was hardly in when the fourth floor went off. Now you know him: what do you think he did after the explosion?"

"He went up to find Reg…"

"Exactly. So the ground floor bomb must've caught him already upstairs. So chances are he's alive and with Gillian right now, and the blasts broke his radio."

Morgan nods, head low.

Reid clears his throat to catch their attention. "Guys, we need to tell the Bomb Squad and all the responders not to use their phones. Just in case."

The other two glare at him as Jennifer looks away, guilt killing her. Reid flashes an apologetic smile, but he's right.

Rossi nods. "I'll tell them. Reid, we need blueprints of the building. Morgan, take care of JJ, please." He goes to the Bomb Squad Leader while a distant wailing of sirens is coming closer.

"I'm going to the TPU office, to get the prints," Reid says.

Morgan meets Jennifer's eyes. "JJ, you should go with him."

"No, I can't. I need to stay here."

"We'll be of more help there, and…"

"What."

Reid grimaces. "I was thinking about Gillian's son…"

Morgan turns to Jennifer with an encouraging smile. She nods taking a deep breath. "Ok, do you guys need anything? Radios, equipment…?"

"We need the best equipment we can get to scan again the building," Morgan replies. "Call Hank, in the hospital. He can tell you if they have any of their weird devices left."

Jennifer nods, still breathing deep.

"Hey, JJ, it wasn't your fault, ok?" Morgan repeats.

"You don't know that, Morgan. I tried to call Hotch and-"

Morgan gently cuts her up: "You didn't get to make the call. I think Woods set timers on these lasts bombs. He knew how long the Bomb Squad would take to sweep the building, so he set the first bomb to go off after they cleared the building."

Reid's logic comes to the rescue as well: "He seemed to know Gillian enough to predict she would search his apartment. So he set the first bomb to try to kill her upstairs, and the second bomb to keep out whoever tried to help her. Only Hotch went in before Woods' schedule."

"Not using our phones near the building is just a precaution," Morgan assures.

Jennifer looks up at them, wanting so bad to believe them. But she still can't. She anyway shrugs and signals Reid to get into the SUV.

Boy wonder notes: "I think the other SUV still has the windshield in one piece…"


	4. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act one 2-4

Hotch slightly shakes his head, stunned, as his eyes flutter open. He glances around, trying to take in the situation. Then slowly, carefully, grabbing the wall, he stands up. He needs a moment to get his balance back despite his hurting ear, then he manages it to cross the room past the flashlight to kneel by Gillian.

He checks her vitals and sighs, relieved to find a pulse. She slightly opens her eyes at his touch, sees him, moves her lips. Hotch leans over her to try to hear what she's saying. And it's not the "told-ya" he's rightfully earned for not listening to her, nor is she crying the "help me" she's rightfully entitled to.

She's asking: "You ok?"

Hotch nods. She coughs and manages it to say: "Gotta tell- Team- The bombs-"

He softens his tone. "My radio is gone, so we'll wait for them here and you can tell them, ok?"

"No time- Don't use phone- Window- Tell them- Now-"

Hotch looks up. She's right, but he's not sure about leaving her alone.

"Go…," she mutters. "I'll wait here- To die on you-"

He scoffs and straightens up. "I'll right back."

The SUV is leaving as Morgan joins Rossi and the Bomb Squad Leader. Behind them, the Squads are getting ready to go in again.

"I can swear we scanned every inch of this damned place! And all the readings came empty!" the Leader repeats, upset.

Morgan is bitterly recalling Hank's warning. A little too late.

"So how could these devices skip detection?" Rossi is asking. "Did you scan the walls?"

"Every one of them."

"The floors and ceilings?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Well, somehow he fooled your scanners," Morgan grunts.

Rossi needs to keep him focused. "Can we at least assume where the bombs were?"

"I'd said the first one was hidden right above Woods' apartment, close to the floor, to collapse the ceiling on whoever was there. And the last one in the entrance hallway, to block our way in."

"So if you were Woods, and you wanted to cause maximum damage to the department, where would you place more bombs?"

"That depends on the standard rescue procedure."

Hotch pauses at the bedroom doorway and moves his flashlight around what's left of the living-room: the ceiling is completely gone, as well as half the floor. From where he's standing, he can look down straight at the pile of debris filling the ground floor.

The lights of incoming sirens flash into the room as he sticks to the wall and tries every step before taking it, slowly making his way to the window.

A fire truck, a tower ladder and two ambulances drive into the lot, followed by police cruisers. The leader of the Rescue Squad hurries to Morgan, Rossi and the Bomb Squad Leader. "Hi, I'm captain Jules, in charge of the rescue team."

"I'm agent Rossi, with the FBI, this is agent Morgan. First of all, captain, we need you to instruct your men to turn off their phone and don't attempt to use them."

"They can detonate more devices," Morgan explains.

Jules waves at a firefighter, instructs him in a few words, goes back to them. "Ok, what happened here?"

"Two explosions, five minutes or so apart," Rossi says. "One in the fourth floor, the other one in the ground floor."

"There are two agents trapped inside, but we think there can be more active devices," Morgan completes.

Jules turns to the Bomb Squad Leader: "Didn't you guys check the building?"

Morgan grimaces. "Yes, they did, but this is no traditional bomber."

"We need you to explain to us what would be the normal procedure in this situation, so we can come up with alternatives."

"The bomber was law enforcement, so we need to assume he knew your drill, and used it to place the devices."

Jules frowns. "You mean this guy wants to kill first responders?"

Rossi nods, sighing. "Yes. Among other people."

Then Morgan notices that the firefighters start pointing out up at the building. He spins around and grabs Rossi's arm. Rossi turns around and looks up.

Hotch is showing at a window in the third floor. He seems to be talking, but they can't hear him.

"QUIET EVERYBODY!" Morgan thunders.

Rossi runs to stand right under the window. Everybody shuts their mouths, gawking up at Hotch.

"HOTCH! YOU OK?" Rossi asks.


	5. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act one 3-4

Hotch is standing on a narrow strip of floor still holding up, grabbing the windowpane to keep the balance. "DAVE! THERE ARE MORE BOMBS!"

"WE KNOW!"

"NOT HERE! IN THE CITY!"

His words makes everybody start muttering. Morgan shuts them up.

"YOU SURE?"

"GILLIAN FOUND THE PRINTS!"

"IS SHE THERE WITH YOU?"

Hardly. "YES!"

Jules joins Morgan with a flashlight and directs its beam at a crack on the wall right beneath Hotch's window. "See that crack, agent? That wall is about to collapse."

Rossi is shouting: "WE CAN'T GET TO YOU YET! CAN YOU GUYS HOLD ON IN THERE A LITTLE LONGER?"

No. But Hotch can only nod. His own voice muffles a soft crack beneath the window. "FIND THOSE BOMBS! THREE OF THEM!"

Jules grabs Morgan's arm. "Agent, tell your man to step back! Now!"

Morgan sprints to Rossi waving his arms high. "HOCTH! STEP BACK!" he yells.

Hotch looks down and frowns, sensing something's off. There's a louder crack and he jumps to a side.

Morgan pulls Rossi back as part of the wall beneath the window gives away and debris rain on them. Then they look anxiously up. "HOTCH!"

He can only take half a step and wave his hand where the window was just a moment ago. Rossi sees him and grabs Morgan's shoulder, as Morgan grabs his own head, sighing.

At the noise of the wall collapsing, Gillian opens her eyes and turns to look at the door. Guilt creeps up her throat. Stupid bold caring man, he _had_ to come for her. And stay. It's her fault he's here. She tries to call out, but she only utters a hoarse whisper: "Agent Hotchner…?"

He shows at the door and she closes her eyes, relieved. Hotch goes to kneel by her again. Her concern about him still puzzles him. She's trapped there, God knows with what injuries, and she's worried about him being alright.

But knowing it, he says: "I'm ok, what about you? It's gonna take them a while to come for us."

"I think a lever- Maybe we can-"

"But that can hurt you more," he seriously cuts her up.

She wishes she had the strength to tell him one of the thousand things that come to her mind right now. Or punch him. But everything hurts like hell, and it's already hard enough staying conscious. So she mutters: "Humor me- I won't tell-."

Hotch nods with a quick smile, appreciating the gambit.


	6. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act one 4-4

Jennifer and Reid find Connor, Tanya and Kurt around a police scanner on Gillian's desk. Connor turns to them right away: "My mom and your boss are alive!"

Jennifer pauses, hand to her chest, grateful for the relief.

"Why didn't you guys answer your phones?" Kurt complains. "We were dying here!"

"Phone may activate more bombs," Reid replies.

The phone on Gillian's desk rings. Tanya picks it and hands it to Jennifer. "JJ, it's Penelope."

It's Garcia from the backseat of a taxi, eyes full of tears, panting. "JJ? Oh, my! You're okay! Where's my Derek? Where are the others? I'm on my way to the airport! I'll be there in two hours! I saw the explosion on the news! And then I couldn't reach any of you! Then Pillbug told me about Hotch and LT Gillian trapped, and-!"

She runs out of breathe and Jennifer has a gap to speak. "Easy, Penelope. They're alive, and Morgan and Rossi are working to rescue them. You don't need to come."

"O— Okay, see you in a while!"

Jennifer gives the phone back to Tanya. "I need to speak with your colleagues in the hospital, can you give me the address, please?"

Reid turns to Connor. "Can you pull the prints of the building? All you can find."

"You got it, doctor!" the boy turns to his computer, happy to have a task.

Hotch finds a thick iron bar and slips it between the column and some debris. He pushes it down as hard as he can, but he can only lift the column about an inch. Anyway, it makes the difference.

Gillian squirms and gets her arm free from under it. "Can you hold it?" she asks.

Hotch nods. Gillian rests both hands on the side of the column and starts to push herself out, one slow millimeter at a time, biting her tongue to keep the excruciating pain at bay. Something's very wrong with her leg.

He soon sees she won't make it alone. So he secures the bar the best he can and grabs Gillian from under her arms.

She suffocates a cry when he pulls, so he pauses. She shakes her head. "Do it…"

Hotch pulls harder, knowing this is a nasty the-quicker-the-better. Gillian cries out as he drags her fully out from under the column. Right then the bar gives in and the column falls on the floor, cracking it.

He drags Gillian a couple of steps further and lays her carefully down. She's hardly conscious, overwhelmed by the pain, eyes closed, hollow breathing.

Hotch retrieves the flashlight and examines her, finding the open fracture in her left leg, below her knee. And there's no telling how many broken ribs she's got. And the contusions. He slightly shakes his head, annoyed. Breathing alone must be hurting like hell, yet she was sending him away, and worrying about the bombs.

But they can make it out of here. And they will. He looks up to tell her so and frowns. She's oddly still.

"Gillian…?" he tries. He checks the pulse on her throat. Then he bends over to apply his good ear to her chest and straightens back up, his eyes widening.

No. She can't be dead.

"Gillian!"


	7. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Two 1-5

Hotch's lost count of how many times he's pressed Gillian's chest, blew into her mouth, waited, started over. But he's determined to bring her back. Nobody else is dying today. Not in his watch.

"C'mon, Gillian!" he snarls.

Then she finally reacts, weakly coughing.

Hotch checks her pulse. Gillian slowly opens her eyes, looks up at him, slightly nods. And he drops himself sit on the floor by her side with a heartfelt sigh.

Reid leaves Cook gawking at the blasted building and brings a thick roll of blueprints to Morgan, who grabs them and hurries away to Jules.

Then Reid gives Rossi three radios. "It's frequency no law enforcement uses, so it should be safe. JJ went to the hospital, and Garcia will be at the TPU office in thirty minutes."

"Good, now listen to me, Reid: Gillian is sure Woods planted three more bombs somewhere in the city."

"Any leads?"

"No. We need you and JJ to figure out where those bombs are. Go through Woods life, use his profile to find them."

Reid accepts the pressure with a deep bread and nods at the building. "How are they?"

"I don't know. Hotch looked alright. But the explosions caused cracks all over the structure, there's no telling how long the building will stand. I just hope we can get to them in time."

Gillian opens her eyes and looks around. Hotch is sitting by her side with some strips of boards at hand.

"How are you feeling?" he asks.

"Been better…"

"We need to take care of your leg."

She nods and he crouches by her broken leg. "I need your belt."

Hotch takes off his tie as she pulls from her belt and hands it to him. "Ready?"

Gillian nods clenching her teeth, and holds back a deep cry when Hotch swiftly straightens her leg over a board and places two more along it. He quickly fastens tie and belt around the leg and the boards as Gillian smashes her fist on the floor, eyes tightly shut, to vent out both pain and anger.

"That's it."

Gillian exhales as Hotch turns on her. "I think I can reach the kitchen," he says. "I'll try to find you some water."

She only nods, glaring up at the hole where the ceiling used to be.

Hotch makes it safe to the kitchen, and he's searching the cupboard when he hears a rumor. He pauses to listen: it sounds like… crawling? He scowls. Can she be moving by herself? What the hell is she trying to do?

Hotch hurries back and finds Gillian already sitting up against the wall on the corridor's side. He helps her and tries to meet her eyes, concerned, but she turns her face away. "Gillian…," he mutters.

"I'm fine. I just need a minute," she snarls.

She takes her fist to her mouth, trying to hold back the tears. God, she hates being this helpless. To make things worse, Hotch gently presses her arm. Gently.

"Please, agent Hotchner." She's not begging.

Hotch stands up, goes to the door and there turns to her sighing. Gillian doesn't let out a single sound, she's very still, but he can read her process step by step: how she's struggling to armor up and keep going.

Ignore a physical pain meant to knock out any wise person, lock up all those annoying emotions —the grief for her friend's death only hours ago, insecurity, fears, put it all away to focus on _what really matters:_ the bombs out in the city, finding a way out of here to do her job.

He knows the process: he's invented it.

But it doesn't make it any easier to watch.


	8. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Two 2-5

Garcia storms in, drops everything and runs to hug Connors, then Tanya and Kurt. "Where's my team?" she asks.

Connor nods at the conference room. "Reid is in there, pacing and talking to himself. JJ is at the hospital with our agents. The others are both in and out of the building."

Garcia is already deploying her computer on Tanya's desk. "Can I talk to them?"

Connor gives her a handy. She presses the button and hesitates. "Derek…?"

Morgan is working with two Squads, assembling the TPU scanners. He takes the radio to his face smiling. "Hello, my angel!"

Garcia grins. "Are you ok? How's Hotch?"

"We're fine, baby, don't worry. Now stand by, cos I need to talk to someone else, ok? I'll call you later."

"Ok. Take care…" Garcia turns to Connor. "So what're you doing?"

"Nothing? Waiting?"

"Oh…"

Morgan speaks on the radio. "Ok, Al, now what."

Hank and Jennifer are sitting by Aldana's bed. She's not in good shape, but she's holding a handy. "Did you plug all the wires according to their colors?"

Morgan checks the back of the scanners. "Yes."

"Did you plug the sensors?"

"Yes."

"Then press the red button. If you don't blow up, it means you're good to go."

"Very funny."

Morgan presses the red button on one of the scanners and the screen comes to life. He signals the Squads to turn on the other scanners as well. "They're all on, Al."

"Now remember to keep then at least ten yards away from each other, or they're gonna mess each other's readings with their fields."

"Got it, Al. Thanks."

"And take care of them. They're expensive."

"You already sound like Hotch."

"Blame it on Reg. Good luck, and get my boss outta there, ok?"

"I will."

Jennifer stands up to leave and Hanks stops her. "Please, keep us posted."

"Keep the radio, and you will know just as much as us."

Aldana manages a weary smile. "Please call us if you think we can be of any help."

Jennifer just nods. They would be of a lot of help if they could be at the building right now. But they can't.

Rossi, Jules and the Bomb Squad Leader join Morgan with the blueprints. A Squad is helping him to hang one of the scanners from his shoulders, like a front backpack.

Jules explains: "Our drill would be first try the front door, then the back door, then the roof. So you're going to check the north side of the building."

"But they're on the south side," Morgan objects.

"Yes, but on the north side there are windows at the end of each corridor," Rossi replies. "If you can clear those walls, we can try to enter through a window and extract Hotch and Gillian that way."

Morgan nods, taking a good look at the schematics.

Jules goes on: "The truck is already in position to lift you as soon as you clear the ground floor wall."

"You sure you don't want one of my boys to do it?" the Bomb Squad Leader asks.

"Don't worry, I got this."


	9. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Two 3-5

The only light inside Woods' bedroom comes from the massive searchlights deployed outside the building, since Hotch is wisely saving the flashlight's battery. They're sitting side by side, backs against the wall, like fellow cell-mates.

They've been here for a good while now. There were no more outbursts. Actually they've hardly traded a word, letting silence pool between them and fill the ruined apartment. They're just saving their strength, just like the flashlight's battery, waiting for a chance to get out of there.

Hotch hears Gillian grunting under her breath.

"Your ribs?" he asks. She nods and they talk without even glancing at each other, in low, tired voices.

"Yeah. I could use some small talk, you know? To get distracted…"

"I'm afraid I'm not much of a talker."

"That I know. But you could just-"

"You're about to try the humor me. Again."

Gillian scoffs. "Funny. Profiling me is your idea of small talk."

"You don't wanna hear your profile."

He really means it, but that's enough for Gillian to take on the imaginary bait. She's about to speak, he raises one finger —don't.

She smirks. "Please would work?"

Hotch sighs and glances at her: you've been warned. She nods: bring it on.

He takes a deep breath and he's launched, in his calm, methodical way: "You've been defined by your father's expectations. They make you feel compelled to pursue constant achievements in your professional life, in order to win his approval. That's why you've always worked in dangerous and demanding assignments, and managed it to be always the best at everything you do. He must've wanted a son, for you to do everything in your hands to prove him a woman can make it just the same. And being so focused on your career makes you neglect your personal life, to the point of dragging your own son to your work to be able of sharing time and activities with him, but fitting your needs instead of his."

The profiler rests his case of brutal honesty.

To his surprise, she nods again, seriously considering his words, and says: "Yeah, you're right… I really need to spend more time with Connor outside the office… How do you do it?"

"Why do you think I do?" he's genuinely interested in knowing how she's come to that conclusion.

Gillian shrugs. "Else you would've stayed on my Atalanta complex."

She's got a point, but he lingers on her choice of words. "Atalanta complex is a good way to call it..."

"You know they call my father _King_ Gillian, right? Well, my name, Regan? Irish name. It means literally king's child."

Hotch is forced to admit that somehow she's made it: they're actually chatting, and the conversation flows unexpectedly easy between them.

"He's not about to go easy on you any time soon, is he."

"It's ok. Keeps me sharp."

"And what about Connor's father? Why doesn't he visit?"

"He was in your list of suspects. Bill Sheppard."

"King of bullies with a fan club… He left when you wouldn't sign in?"

"One king to please is enough."

They softly chuckle and she presses her ribs.

Hotch notices that she doesn't find it odd how he correctly guessed about her personal life, but actually took for granted he would.


	10. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Two 4-5

Reid finishes taking all of the scraps from Woods' scrapbook and pinning them to the board. Then he starts to slowly pacing by the table.

Used to live surrounded by workaholics, Connor knocks on the door and comes in with takeout and soda for Reid. He leaves both things on the table and approaches the board.

"What are you looking for?"

"I'm trying to establish the relevance of these chronicles Woods was keeping."

"That would give you the location of the bombs?"

"I think so."

Reid points at one of the articles. Connor comes closer to read it as Reid explains: "In 1998 he was still a street cop and he and his partner prevented a bank robbery that could have led to a hostages situation. His partner was shot during the event, and that earned him, not Woods, a commendation."

Connor slowly nods. "They gave'im the medal in a public act at the Irish Memorial…"

"Where he planted the bombs this morning. And this is how we found him."

He points at another chronicle, Connor reads. "The Bomb Squad defused home-made explosives there ten years ago."

Jennifer tiptoes in while Connor keeps reading. Reid picks his takeout and eats standing by Connor. Jennifer smiles, watching them together.

"He's not mentioned here," Connor notes.

"But according to his records he was in the Bomb Squad at that time, and was at that operation."

"And the squad leader got a promotion. I see…"

"None of these chronicles mention Woods. So we need to figure out-"

"How they rank in his top-10 of grudges. Let me bring my computer."

"You're keeping him busy," Jennifer smiles when Connor walks out. "That's nice of you, Spence."

"He's smart. Any news?"

"Morgan found a possible way in. Now they're about to try it."

Garcia storms in, outraged. "I'm here doing nothing and you ask things from Connor?"

Jennifer rounds Garcia's shoulders with her arms and leads her out as Connor comes back in. They pause and Jennifer faces Garcia.

"You're scared, and stressed, and you'd give anything to occupy your mind in something, aren't you, Penelope?"

"Of course! Hotch is trapped there! And Morgan is about to go in!"

"I know, I'm feeling exactly the same. And they're our friends. But Connor has his _mother_ trapped in there."

Garcia holds up her eyes, feeling suddenly guilty about her silly outburst. Jennifer smiles at her. "Now grab your computer and come help us. I'm sure you can still teach Connor a few things."

"Right! He's still my padawan!"

The bucket of the tower ladder brings Morgan down with the scanner. A Squad helps Morgan to take the scanner off and puts it on himself as Morgan instructs him. "Remember, we only need to clear our way from the window up to the stairs, we already know they're clear."

"Yes, sir."

"So let them know you're there and then take your time. But don't scan any further than the route to extract them right now."

"Yes, sir."

Gillian opens her eyes at the sound of steps on broken glass. It's coming from their right, and Hotch's injured ear doesn't hear them. But he sees Gillian sitting up.

"What."

"There's somebody downstairs," she whispers.

Hotch stands sharply up and turns the flashlight on. "Stay here."

He goes out of the apartment and into the corridor, up to where the handrail used to be, then points his flashlight down.

The Squad spots it at once. "AGENT HOTCHNER?"

"UP HERE!"

The Squad is slowly scanning the walls and the floor, step by step, as he speaks. "How are you holding up, sir?"

"We're fine, but we need medics for lieutenant Gillian!"

"Can she move, sir?"

"Yes, with help!"

The Squad takes another step. His own voice wouldn't let him hear the click when his foot touches the ruined carpet before apartment 205. "I'm clearing the hall, sir! Hold tight! We're coming for you!"

In the middle of the empty apartment 205, on the floor, a tiny box with an electronic display noiselessly comes to life. The display reads a steady "3".


	11. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Two 5-5

Gillian comes hopping to the apartment's door, grabbing the doorframe for support. Hotch joins her.

"You heard him, we'll be out soon."

"They better hurry. We still have those damned bombs to locate."

"You're not chasing any more bombs tonight, Gillian."

"You are? Well, so am I."

Hotch wisely leaves the argument for the moment they're actually out of that crumbling building: no point in having it twice.

Outside the building, Rossi joins Morgan by the tower ladder. Morgan fills him in what the Squad reported: "They're fine. Reg's a little beaten, but holding up."

Rossi nods. Finally a little break. "Good. Reid and JJ already connected both bombings with Woods' career, so now they're working to find the other three."

Then they hear the Squad inside the building calling out from the stairs. "Agent Hotchner!"

Hotch goes back to the edge of the gone handrail. Gillian hops after him and they show out together. The Squad smiles up at them.

"The corridor is clear, sir. Now the Rescue Squad is coming for you."

"Are you sure it's clear?" Gillian scowls.

"I am, lieutenant! I'm using one of your team's scanners!"

"So we can go down now?"

"Yes, sir!"

"Good. Go get the medics up here!"

"Right away, sir!"

The Squad hurries back to the window. And as he passes by apartment 205, the small display inside of the apartment changes the reading to "2".

Hotch is concerned it's gonna be hard helping Gillian down the stairs, considering not only her awfully broken leg but her aching ribs. But trying to keep her at the third floor is out of the question by now, cos she will try to go down by herself if he even suggests to stay. However, she bears his arm firmly rounding her back, and his hand holding hers, and hops down to the first step.

He notices her sharp breathe and offers: "We can wait for them here." Only to confirm that Gillian reacts like a porcupine at anything that may remotely resemble pity, even if it's actually realistic concern.

"No," she snarls. "I'm sick and tired of this damned place." So she breathes in and hops to the next step.

And down the stairs they go, pausing at every step, until they reach the landing.

"Let's take a break," Hotch decides, careful not to sound careful.

Gillian nods, bearing the pain, and allows Hotch to help her get to the wall and rest her back against it.

Then they hear one of the Rescue Squad calling out as he comes in through the window: "AGENT HOTCHNER? LT. GILLIAN?"

"STAIRS!" Hotch shouts out.

The man walks past apartment 205 while his partner is coming in through the window. And inside the apartment, the display changes to "1".

Gillian tries to go on, but Hotch stops her. "No need, they're already here."

The second man from the Rescue Squad hurries to catch up with the first one, almost at the stairs. He walks by apartment 205. And the displays changes to "0".

It was like a distant thunder shaking the ground. Morgan looks up and grabs Rossi's arm, dragging him away from the northern wall as he yells: "BACK! EVERYBODY BACK!"

Then everybody hears the noise of collapsing walls inside, and they run away from the building in all directions.


	12. Gillian Saga II - Debris Act Three 1-5

Jennifer and Reid are standing before the board, while Connor watches Garcia working on her computer, when Tanya storms in, eyes wide open full of tears, moving her lips without a sound.

Jennifer snatches the radio. "Morgan?" she calls.

"There was another…," Tanya mumbles. "Another…"

"JJ!" Morgan answers on the radio.

By his side, Rossi is blankly staring at the building, trying to believe his eyes: wrapped in the thickest cloud of dust, the north half of it is gone, collapsed inwards.

"You ok? What happened?" Jennifer asks.

Reid shoots a quick look at her —not here. She strides out. Garcia is about to follow when Connor stops her. "Kitten, find out if my mom's alive."

Garcia can only nod, and she hurries with Tanya after Jennifer. Connor turns to Reid, bright eyes, struggling to hold it up. "Let's do this, doctor. That's what mi mom would've wanted."

"Connor, we still don't know-"

"Please, doctor."

"Ok. The next chronicle is from 2010, a bomb threat in a school…"

Jennifer keeps the radio to her face. "Talk to me, Morgan!"

But Morgan is looking at the ruins of the building, trying to find the words. "Half of the building is gone, JJ! And there's still too much dust and debris to see anything!"

"Hotch…?"

"We don't know!"

Jennifer closes her eyes, swallowing hard. "Ok, keep me up."

Then Rossi notices the responders start to yell and point out, and Jules yells: "LIGHTS! WE NEED LIGHTS!"

Rossi pats Morgan's shoulder. "They found them!"

They run together to what few is still standing of the north side.

The stairs up and down from the landing are gone, and Hotch and Gillian lie in what's left of it, attached to the corner of two half-collapsed walls. Debris slopes down beneath their frail platform.

The second floor corridor to the north wall is gone as well, along with the apartments opening to it. And there's a huge segment missing of the outside wall.

A beam of light on his face makes Hotch frown. He shields his eyes with his hand and right away he takes it to his bleeding right ear, grimacing in deep pain.


	13. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Three 2-5

Morgan and Rossi halt by the ladder resting against what's left of the north wall, and look up at the Rescue Squad man, looking into the big hole with a flashlight.

"It's them?" Morgan asks.

"Yes, sir! Both of them! Agent Hotchner at least is alive!"

"Come down! Hurry!"

"Wait!" Rossi stops him. "You cannot go up there!"

"Like hell I can't! Call JJ and tell her we've found him!"

"I can't do that until we know what happened to Gillian."

"You're right… Ok, give me a minute."

Hotch is incapable of moving, paralyzed by this sharp burning pain piercing through his skull, blurring everything else.

Behind him, Gillian slowly hoists herself up to rest in her elbows. She shakes off some small debris that fell on her and looks around, stunned. Then she spots Hotch.

"Agent Hotchner…?"

He can't answer, too focused in not passing out from the pain. Gillian's head clears in a split second at noticing he's not well. She sits up, never caring about the fierce complains from her broken leg, and rests a hand on his shoulder. "Agent Hotchner…" she repeats, lowering her voice.

She gently tries to make him face her to take a look at his ear. But allergy to gentleness from strangers is not her unchallenged realm, and Hotch raises a hand between them.

"I'm fine…," he mutters. "I'll be fine…"

"HOTCH! REG!" Morgan's voice thunders from the remains of the north wall.

Gillian feels Hotch shrinking in pain at the sound. Then she softly makes him slide back to sit against the wall, takes his own hand to cover again his bleeding ear, and pushes herself forward to the edge of the landing, past him, to keep Hotch out of the way of her voice.

"MORGAN! HERE!" she shouts out.

Hotch anyway sinks his head between his shoulders.

From the top of the ladder, looking into the building, Morgan points his flashlight at them. "YOU GUYS OK?"

"YES! BUT WE NEED A LITTLE SILENCE!"

"OK!"

Morgan looks down at Rossi and smiles. Rossi exhales, taking the radio.

Jennifer, Garcia and Tanya storm back into the conference room.

"They're alive! Both of them!" Jennifer is happy to announce.

Reid and Connor sigh, relieved, and Reid says: "And I think Connor and I narrowed it down to five possible locations."


	14. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Three 3-5

Gillian turns to Hotch and presses his shoulder, to remind him she's there in case he makes a mistake and needs any help, then she lets him be and looks around. She spots his flashlight and stretches out her arm over his legs to reach it. She turns it on, it flickers, she shakes it, it stays on. She points the light at Morgan, getting his attention.

Morgan leans forward, narrowing his eyes.

Gillian directs the flashlight to Hotch first, then to her own face, to point at her hear and then take a finger across her lips.

Morgan moves his beam up and down: yes. Then he takes one step down and bents forward to say to Rossi: "Hotch's ear was affected in the blasts, but I think that's pretty much it, along with a leg that Reg has splinted."

"And what are they doing?"

Morgan looks up and into the building before answering: "Reg is giving Hotch a minute to put himself together. And I think she's looking for a way out by themselves."

Rossi shakes his head with the first hint of a smile in many hours. "Why am I not surprised…"

Gillian studies the shaky landing and the pile of debris around and beneath it, an idea taking shape in her head. Hotch slowly sits up, breathing deep. The pain is not gone, but it's bearable. Keeping a hand to his ear, he carefully moves to Gillian's side.

She uses the flashlight to show him a possible way down from the landing: it would only take them one leap to reach the pile of debris.

Hotch scowls. "You want us to try to get out without waiting for the rescue squad?"

Gillian moves the light, showing him the dead bodies of the two men from the Rescue Squad, crushed under the debris.

"But you…"

She looks up straight into his eyes and says in her plain, firm way: "I can do it if you help me."

Hotch studies the debris, assessing their odds. She's right, they can do it. And they cannot stay here any longer, anyway. He nods.

Gillian waits for him to face her again. "Ok, now you stand back again and protect that ear of yours, cos I gotta have a conversation with Morgan."

He carefully slips back against the wall and nods. Gillian moves the flashlight.

"MORGAN!"

Morgan waves his arm for everybody around the ladder to shut up, then turns to the hole. "I HEAR YOU, REG!"

"DON'T SEND ANYBODY ELSE IN! WE'RE COMING OUT!"

"WHAT!?"

"WE CAN MAKE IT TO THE GROUND FLOOR!"

"WE DIDN'T CLEAR IT!"

"SCREW THE SCANS!" She takes a beat to remember what she saw of the ground floor, then: "CLEAR US THE WINDOW AT THE FRONT DOOR'S RIGHT!"

"BUT IT'S TOO DANGEROUS, REG!"

"AND THIS IS FRIGGING PARADISE! CAN YOU DO IT OR NOT!?"

"OKAY! YOU GOT IT!"

"WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER BOMBS?"

"REID AND JJ ARE ON IT!"

Gillian moves down the light to study the pile of debris. It ain't gonna be easy, but at least the adrenaline is going to mitigate a little the pain that's spiking up again.

Cook walks into the TPU office, tired but trying to look energetic, and walks straight to Jennifer. "We have bomb squads going to the locations you gave us. They'll be reporting in a few minutes. Anything about Gillian? Your boss sent everybody away!"

"Agent Hotchner and Lieutenant Gillian are making their way out of the building by themselves," Jennifer nods.

"What!? Are they crazy?"

"They don't want to jeopardize any more responders, after two were killed in the last explosion. That's why they requested to keep only a reduced staff assisting them."

"Jeez! Your boss is just as reckless as Gillian!"


	15. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Three 4-5

Only one ambulance and the Rescue Squad truck remain in the site. Morgan and Rossi are working with Jules and his team in removing debris from the apartment Gillian chose.

Inside the building, already at the second floor level, Hotch stands on the pile of debris and reaches out to Gillian. She's standing on her good leg a step higher than him. Hotch grabs her waist and helps her to his side. His ear is no longer bleeding, and the pain receded to the annoying constant buzzing he's been familiar with years ago, so he knows how to handle it.

She rests against a piece of column while he looks for the next safe step down. It's turning out to be much easier than both of them expected, after that initial leap from the landing.

Hotch finds a safe step and takes it, then turns to Gillian, and notices she staggers when she leans forward to reach his hands. He holds her up, helps her to his side and makes her sit down.

"You need a break," he says, very serious.

She shakes her head and grunts: "I'm fine."

"No, you're not. We're taking a minute to catch back our breath."

She tries to stand up. Hotch stops her, a bit annoyed. "You don't need to prove you can take it, Gillian. I already know."

"Please, agent Hotchner…"

After seven hours trapped in here, they can already move past ranks. "Hotch's fine," he says, softening his voice.

But she doesn't soften anything, instead, she snarls: "No, thanks. Any more personal and this would be a frigging date."

Hotch takes a moment to study her stubborn scowl, doing his math. "You didn't resent my aggressive profile, but you do resent me for saving your life?"

She snorts, pissed. "No. You're making conversation to keep me sitting here." She manages it to stand up and scowls up at him.

Hotch studies her a beat longer —can it be? Then he turns to look for their next step down, considering his suspicions.

Cook hangs up his phone and turns to Jennifer, all business. "The second bomb was at the school, like you said, but the other three locations came out clean."

"Give me a minute," she says, and hurries to the conference room, where she's not happy to announce to Reid, Garcia and Connor: "They can't find the third bomb."

Reid turns to the board frowning.

The Rescue Squad is already working inside the blasted apartment in the ground floor, manually removing every piece and chunk of debris blocking their way from the window to the corridor door.

Morgan and Rossi are a few steps away from the window, with Jules, when a man shouts from the inside: "WE'RE IN!"

"They've reached the front door," Jules explains.

"I'm going in," Morgan informs Rossi, not asking for permission.

Morgan comes in through the window and heads to the front door, following the workers. But he sharply halts right after walking out of the apartment: the corridor is completely blocked by a wall of compacted debris. "What the-," he grunts.

One of the men is carefully removing little chunks of concrete. He opens a small hole, enough to look through. "I can see them!" he says, and gives Morgan room to look through.

Hotch is helping Gillian down from the last of the pile of debris, already at the ground floor level. Around them, debris completely block the corridor and the entrance. Gillian was right: they can only try to get out through the apartment she pointed.

"HOTCH!" Morgan calls through the small hole.

Hotch looks up, directs the flashlight at the wall of debris and spots the hole.

"WE'RE FINE, MORGAN! CAN YOU OPEN A WAY THROUGH FOR US?"

Morgan glances at the man by his side, he shakes his head. "WE'RE WORKING ON IT!"

"IT'S OK! WE'LL WAIT!"

Jules joins Morgan and studies the wall of debris. "We're not extracting them this way," he states, and signals an upset Morgan to follow him back into the apartment. There he studies the cracked ceiling and the walls on the corridor side, pointing at one. "Here. If we secure this sector, we can hammer a hole in the wall past the debris, big enough for them to crawl out."

"Then let's do it already!"


	16. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Three 5-5

Reid and Jennifer are going over the scraps on the board once more.

"These are the most flagrant omissions in Wood's career," Reid repeats, not for the first time.

Jennifer frowns. "Wait. You didn't include the TPU in your list of possible targets…"

It's Connor's turn to frown. "But there's no way he could plant a bomb here. The best scanner Ron's ever made is right here, screening the place 24/7."

"But there are other ways to damage a location than a bomb, like fire," Reid meditates.

Jennifer turns to Garcia. "Did Woods have any training in firefighting, other than the ATF?"

Garcia types and waits for half a heartbeat. "Before applying for the TPU, he took a crash course with Boston FD."

"Didn't he do it to improve his chances in the selection?" Connor asks.

"He could have applied what he learned to cause a fire," Reid replies. "We already know he's not a classic bomber, but a paranoid narcissist."

Connor narrows his eyes. "You mean like starting a fire that would look accidental?"

"Yes, for example."

"The alarm in Dorchester!" Connor recalls. "Three weeks ago, there was a fire that blew up a house in Dorchester. They ruled it as a gas leak, but my mom was sure it wasn't an accident!"

Jennifer nods, remembering. "Yes, she told me about it… but why would she think so?"

Garcia is searching while Connor explains: "She said the timing was to accurate."

"This one?" Garcia asks, showing Connor her screen.

"Yes, that one."

Garcia briefs them: "It was a family residence, home to a local gang leader. He lived there with his mother and three little sisters, but they weren't home at the time of the explosion. The only two victims were the gang leader and one Joseph Wesson."

"His official drug dealer," Connor completes.

Garcia keeps searching while Jennifer and Reid think hard.

"You can sure temper the gas system to cause a leak…" Reid says.

"But to control the moment of the blast, there had to be some kind of trigger, or remote control," Jennifer objects.

Reid nods. "Meaning Woods was near, watching the house. He waited for the family to leave and the drug dealer to arrive. And only then he blew up the house."

"But Woods is dead, so who's gonna use the remote?"

"Guys…," Garcia whispers in a thread of voice. "Isn't this the boy from the internet café, the one who sent the last threat?"

Reid and Jennifer lean to her computer. "Yes, that's him."

"Look who he really is…" Garcia invites them.

Jennifer leans further to read: "Jonathan Williams, 18 —not 16 as his fake ID claimed. Born here, in Boston… mother Linda Williams, father…"

"Franklin Woods…" finishes Garcia.

Reid turns to the window and looks out at the dark empty street. He feels a chill running down his spine: there's somebody out there, across the street, a boy checking his watch before looking up at the TPU window. And the hoodie he's wearing… Reid's seen it before.

He turns to the others trying not to lose it. "Guys, we need to get out of here. _Now_."

Rossi is standing alone outside the building when he notices the paramedics by the ambulance turn to look at the city downtown. He looks past them and spots a distant glow reflected in the low clouds. A glow like fire.

He hurries to the ambulance, calling on the radio: "JJ? Reid?"

A paramedic sees him coming and says, very upset: "An explosion downtown! They're saying it was the TPU office!"

Rossi desperately insists on the radio: "JJ! REID! DO YOU COPY!?"


	17. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Four 1-5

The SUV pulls over, a globe of flames reflecting on its tinted windows. Inside the SUV, Jennifer is behind the wheel, Reid by her side, Garcia and Connor on the backseat.

All of them keep staring at the fire, in shock, still trying to take in how close they were to die in it. Reid finally reacts enough to answer the radio. "It's Reid, Rossi, we're fine, don't worry."

Rossi exhales. He's just aged ten years in a flash. "Where are you? What happened?"

"The third bomb wasn't a bomb, but a gas leak in the TPU building. We made it out back right in time."

Jennifer takes the radio. "Rossi, we're heading to Gillian's house now with the rest of the TPU. We wanna make sure there will be no more surprises."

"How is it going over there?" Connor asks from the backseat.

"They're about to extract them. Go now, we'll meet you there."

The Rescue Squad finishes securing the wall and the ceiling and one of them comes with a big demolition maze. Morgan signals them to wait and goes to the hole in the debris wall.

"HOTCH!"

Hotch and Gillian are sitting side by side on a broken column, ten yards away.

"WHAT IS IT, MORGAN?"

"YOU GUYS STAY THERE! WE'RE OPENING A HOLE IN THE WALL TO GET YOU OUT!"

"WHAT ABOUT THE OTHER BOMBS?" Gillian asks.

"TWO DOWN, ONLY ONE LEFT TO GO!"

"I LOVE YOU, BROWN SUGAR!"

"I KNOW, GORGEOUS!"

Hotch shakes his head, scoffing at Gillian's ways.

A thud against the wall echoes all over. While the Rescue Team breaches the wall to get to them, Gillian turns to Hotch. There are things she wants to say to him, and she knows she only has a few minutes left to do it.

In complete contrast with the way she's just addressed Morgan, she speaks to Hotch in a thoughtful, serious way.

"You know, about what you said… Why would I resent your profile? I mean, all you said is true, and you were aggressive just to make me shut the hell up and give your ear a break. I can get that."

Oblivious of the thuds, Hotch studies her yet once more. She really means it.

Gillian shrugs. "And I would never resent you for saving my life."

Now Hotch allows himself a scoff —liar. She frowns, seeing he doesn't believe her.

"I have a child, I can't die yet," she says, plain 2+2. Then she looks away to go on: "And if anybody was to save me today, I'm glad it was you. Cos you're a good man."

Morgan's voice thunders the whole ground floor, winning the Worst Timing of the Year Award: "HOTCH! REG! WE'RE READY HERE!"

Hotch is actually more than fine with Morgan's timing, and he stands up to help Gillian. But she meets his eyes and frowns, smirking at the same time.

It's only a heartbeat.

The longest heartbeat in history.

Holding up her piercing blue eyes, Hotch has the dreadful feeling that she's staring straight at him, from the inside of her thousand layers of armor right through his own thousand layers of armor.

Hotch is not used at all to feel this exposed, the lest before a stranger.

And this is not just any stranger: is this woman with her jeans and her smartass mouth and her rebellious stubbornness, and guts like many a man would envy, and panic to let her weaknesses show, and a heart as ready to give it all as to hate; so quick to hug everybody and fiercely keeping him at two arms' length all through such a life-or-death situation, all of it while accepting his lead without a blink and trying to protect him at the same time.

And just like he's seeing her now, so awfully clear, she's seeing him.

To make it even worse, he sees in her eyes how she realizes what just happened.

He looks away, but he knows it's just too late. So before she can utter a single word, he says: "Can we just get out of here?"

"HOTCH?" Morgan sounds a bit concerned.

"COMING!"


	18. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Four 2-5

Morgan is crouching right before the hole and his face lights up with a smile when Hotch crouches by it. "Man, it's good to see your face! You ok?"

"Yeah, let's get Gillian out first."

Hotch helps Gillian to sit on the floor by the hole and finds her little mocking smirk. He shoots his driest look at her. "What."

Gillian's eyes shine as she whispers it, for his ears only, as she slowly pushes herself sitting across the hole: "Oh, captain, my captain…" and she manages it to make those four words into a whole statement about the two of them.

Morgan catches her and helps her fully out. Hotch pops his head through the hole with his trade-mark strictly-business-only face. "Morgan, be careful, lieutenant Gillian's just hit her head."

Morgan faces her suddenly worried, and to his great surprise, she shakes her head chuckling. "My head's fine, Morgan. Agent Hotchner's just made a joke."

Hotch is coming through the hole, blank face carved in stone, matter-of-fatcly stating: "No, I didn't." —it's canon: I don't do jokes.

"Yes, you did," she teases.

Paramedics are already there with a lifting board to take her out, and she allows them to, still smirking, amused to hell. Morgan turns to Hotch —what the hell…? He just nods at the window.

Rossi helps Hotch out through the window, Morgan right behind them. Hotch pats Rossi's shoulder and they trade a smile. Then Hotch takes a step and staggers, taking a hand to his right ear. Rossi and Morgan hurry to hold him up.

"I'm fine," he quickly says. "It's just my ear."

"You need to go to the hospital," Rossi is not smiling anymore.

Morgan sprints to the ambulance signaling at the paramedics to wait.

"I'm fine, Dave."

Rossi nods with that paternal way Hotch loves to hate. "Sure you are, Aaron. Just humor me, ok?"

Hotch can but scoff and lets him take you to the ambulance.

When Hotch climbs in the back of the ambulance, the paramedics are trying to tend to Gillian's wounds, while she tries to give them orders.

"See you guys at the hospital," Morgan says, waving at them with a mocking smile.

Gillian yanks off the oxygen mask they just put to her face. "Morgan! Bring my son, please!"

"You got it, Reg."

Morgan helps to close the back doors and pats the side of the ambulance. As it drives away, he turns to Rossi slightly shaking his head, amused.

"They look fine, all things considered," Rossi says.

"Yeah. Reg was already bossing the EMTs around."

"Good for her she's in a good mood, because the TPU office exploded not thirty minutes ago."

"WHAT!?"

"Come, I'll tell you on our way."

"Wait… We have no car."

"The field office already sent one."

"Good. Now tell me about the explosion. Jeez! Is this day ever gonna end?"

As they walk toward a black car parked near the fence, behind the blasted building, it's already dawning.

A paramedic tries to tend to Hotch's ear and he shakes him off like he were a fly.

Gillian takes out the mask again. "What're you doing here? Didn't picture you like a let's-go-to-the-hospital guy…"

How much more did she accurately picture? Hotch doesn't even want to explore the possible answer. So he raises his eyebrows to explain: "I'm humoring agent Rossi."

Then he glances down at her and they smile. Gillian is even about to chuckle, savoring that silly private joke. Instead she scowls at the paramedic working on her leg. "Ouch! That hurts, you moron!"

Hotch grimaces at her loud words in such a small space. Gillian automatically flashes a repenting grimace and whispers: "Sorry…"


	19. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Four 3-5

Jennifer opens the door at Gillian's house to let Morgan and Rossi in. Garcia is coming from the kitchen with a just baked pie. Reid, Connor, Tanya and Kurt are sprawled on or against the couch before the TV, with smoky mugs. All over the room are half a dozen open computers.

"See?" Reid is saying. "That's what I like about the Tenth Doctor!"

"Nah! There's no beating Matt!"

"Pillbug, that's why I love you!" Garcia grins.

Jennifer fills the other two in: "They just finished searching the rest of the locations, just in case. Nothing."

Morgan looks past her at the others. "Look at them, Rossi! They're having a damned slumber party!"

Connor stands up at once. "How's my mom? When can I see her?"

"We're here to take you to the hospital, kiddo," Rossi smiles.

"Where's Hotch?" Jennifer asks.

"In the hospital, too —his ear."

"Then we should get his go-bag."

Morgan shows her he's carrying it. Reid and Garcia join them.

"Shall we?"

Rossi glances at Tanya and Kurt, very busy having breakfast. "They're not coming?"

Garcia shakes her head. "They're waiting for LT Gillian right here."

"I don't think she's coming home for a few days…"

Connor mockingly scoffs at Rossi's words, and pats his arm on his way to the door, where he has her mother's go-bag ready.

Gillian is sitting rather than lying in her bed, a snow white plaster covering her leg from knee to toes.

She's watching the news coverage on the explosions, mixing images of the blasted locations with Cook's press conference and Woods' picture.

Connor comes in with her bag and drops it on the bed to hug her tight. She keeps him to her chest for a long moment.

"Connor, son! You ok, baby?"

"Yeah, we were two streets away when it went off."

She shakes her head, grimacing at the thought of her son being in such a danger. But Connor soon smiles with a wink.

"Wanna know how they figured it out?"

"Tell me."

"The Dorchester explosion."

"Get the hell out! Really?"

They laugh together until Connor rubs his hands. "Ok, what do you need?"

Around the bend, in another room, Hotch is fastening his tie to a spotless suit, ignoring Rossi's and Morgan's disapproving looks.

This is the unit chief speaking: "I'm not cleared to flight, but I don't need to stay here." —I've already been here like four hours.

Morgan tries the soft scold. "Hotch, the doctors say you need to rest for at least another 24 hours."

"I'll rest at home."

Rossi tries a diplomatic low blow. "You may cause yourself permanent damage, and be pulled off the field."

Worse than talking to a wall: it's talking to Hotch in a hospital. "How's lieutenant Gillian? Have you seen her yet?"

Morgan is about to insist, but Rossi shakes his head and leads him out of the room, leaving Hotch to put his go-bag in proper order.

As they approach the nurse station, where Reid, Jennifer and Garcia are, they notice the racket of nurses coming out of Gillian's room and spreading in all directions.

"Is Reg ok?" Morgan asks, suddenly worried.

Reid nods. "Yes, she's fine. She just disappeared with Connor."

Jennifer swallows her laughter. Rossi faces them, puzzled at their calm. "Her agents are here, too. Did they check their rooms?"

Garcia pats his shoulder. "A pair of crutches are missing from the ER. She's not anywhere around anymore."

Morgan shakes his head laughing. "Good Lord! That woman!"

Rossi sighs. "Then let's go get Hotch, before he leaves too."

Morgan knocks on Hotch's door and opens it only enough to stick in his head. He rolls his eyes pushing it wide open, for the others to see the empty room. They all laugh under their breath.

At the access of the hospital parking lot, Gillian in her borrowed crutches and Connor are trying to get a taxi, when the BAU's SUV brakes by them and the passenger door is pushed open.

Gillian turns to it, puzzled, and finds Hotch behind the wheel, sunglasses on. Connor helps her to the passenger seat and hurries to climb in the backseat.

Hotch gears in and drives away without a word. He's not about to waste a single spark of synapsis on how or why they did the same —escaping from the hospital, at exactly the same time.


	20. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Four 4-5

There are two SUVs in Gillian's driveway. At the lawn, the team is saying goodbye to Gillian, Connor, Tanya and Kurt with lots of hugs and last minute jokes, while Hotch waits a few steps away.

"Ok! Youngsters shuffle to the airport leaving!" calls Morgan.

Jennifer, Reid and Garcia get into one of the SUVs as Morgan turns to Rossi and Hotch. "Enjoy the ride, guys!"

Rossi smirks at him as he gets behind the wheel. As they drive away, Hotch gets behind the wheel of the other SUV and rolls down his window. Rossi and Gillian are coming at her slow crutched pace, and they pause by Hotch's window. Tanya runs out of the house to bring Rossi a dish covered with a cloth.

Gillian smiles at Rossi's surprise. "For the way," she says.

"Thanks, lieutenant, but… I mean no offense, but you didn't strike me as the baking type…"

"Garcia baked it, Dave," Hotch says, monotone voice to state the obvious.

Gillian winks at Rossi. "And that's why he's the boss."

"Yeah…," Rossi smiles. "Well, hope to see you next week, when you come to DC."

"I wouldn't miss the chance."

Rossi shakes her hand and circles the SUV to get in the passenger seat carrying the dish. Gillian turns to Hotch.

"Agent Hotchner, it's been an honor."

"Lieutenant. In case you change your mind, you have my number."

"And you know where to find me."

They trade a nod and a quick, honest smile.

Because now they understand each other much more than they ever expected. And that's exactly why there's nothing wrong about them both being relieved that Hotch is heading back home.

So Hotch gears in and drives away, while Gillian hops back to her son and techies and they head all together back into the house.

**_"__No man is a hero to himself. I've lived with me a lifetime. I know everything worth knowing about myself" - Ray Bradbury_**

On board the jet, Jennifer is sitting opposite to Garcia while Reid is reading close by. Morgan brings his coffee to sit with them

"So Regan and Connor are staying in your place next week?" Jennifer asks him. "And what will Savannah say about it?"

Morgan flashes his winner smirk. "She won't complain: I'm staying over with her to leave them my place."

"Didn't think Gillian was the taking vacations type," Reid comments, still reading.

Morgan shakes his head. "She's not, but she wants to spend some quality time with Connor."

Jennifer smirks —don't be naive. "The new TPU office won't be ready for another week."

Garcia has her own blanks to fill. "Is it true that LT and Hotch came out of that horrible place joking?"

"What?"

"Yeah," Morgan smiles, recalling it. "You should've seen them: eight hours trapped, three explosions, Hotch with his bleeding ear, Reg with an open fracture, and they were teasing each other!"

Reid frowns. "Hotch was joking?"

"In his own fashion, yeah."

Garcia is foreseeing the blockbuster. "Oh, my! You think they…?"

"Sorry to burst your bubble, baby girl, but Reg likes them young and fresh. Like our pretty boy here." Morgan pats Reid's leg, he looks up in shock. "Well, not that skinny. You're safe, Reid."

"Then why…?"

Jennifer tries to find the words. "They just… bonded."

"I've never known about Reg following somebody's lead like that…," Morgan admits.

"Or Hotch caring so much about someone outside the team," Reid adds. "He saved her life…"

Garcia frowns, Jennifer nods. "He didn't say a word about it, but Regan reported in the hospital that Hotch gave her CPR and brought her back after the second explosion."

For a moment they try to picture what it must've been like for them, being trapped up there.

"Connor told me he wants to apply for the bureau," Reid says then.

Garcia flashes her proud smile. "Yeah! I'm talking him into it. He'll make a hell of an analyst!"

"But isn't he still in school?" Jennifer objects.

Reid shakes his head. "He graduated four years ahead of his class."

Morgan nods smiling. "Penelope's apprentice and a little Reid too. That would cut it."

"His mother should apply for the agency too," Reid says, resuming his reading.

Jennifer connects dots. "Maybe Hotch told her something about it. I saw him giving her his card…"

"And why would she need his card if she's friends with my Derek? See?"

"No, baby girl, forget it."


	21. Gillian Saga II - Debris - Act Four 5-5

Way behind and below, Rossi finishes a piece of Garcia's pie while Hotch drives.

Rossi looks out, looks ahead, leans back in his seat.

Hotch's been expecting this for the last 50 miles, give or take, and he knows that from now on, it's going to be Rossi On A Mission.

Finally Rossi says: "May I ask what was that about with Gillian? You have my number, you know where to find me…"

"She's a good asset, we always need people like her in the bureau."

"So you gave her your number, because she doesn't know anybody else in the FBI."

"I can get her in touch with units she may be interested in, like Counter Terrorism-"

"Or the BAU."

"I really hope not."

"Really. You don't think she'd made a good profiler?"

"I know she would."

"Then why would you _really hope_ she's not interested in the BAU?"

"Because when I told her about joining the bureau, she said she would only consider forsaking King Gillian if I needed another submissive in denial to bully."

Rossi takes his time to look ahead, look out his window, lean back in his seat, look down at the dish on his lap.

"You should really try this pie."

"Sure, give me a bite."


End file.
